Packaging container with flared peripheral clearance

ABSTRACT

A packaging container mainly includes a box having an open top and a first flange horizontally outward extended from a periphery of the open top, and a cover having a second flange horizontally outward extended from a periphery of the cover corresponding to the first flange. The first and the second flange are provided at corresponding positions with complementary recess and projection belts that fitly engage with each other to enhance connection of the cover to the box. Outer edges of the first and the second flange are bent downward and upward, respectively, to form a flared peripheral clearance between the cover and the box, allowing the cover to be easily removed from the open top of the box at the flared peripheral clearance.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a packaging container for foodstuff, and more particularly to a packaging container that has increased contact area between its box and cover to ensure firm closing of the cover to the box while the cover could be easily removed from the box at a flared peripheral clearance of the packaging container. The packaging container is also provided at the cover with a vent, protecting the packaging container heated in a microwave stove against deformation or bursting open.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Living in a busy modern society, all people wish to have their food processed and packaged in a convenient be carried without easily becoming spilt. There are various kinds of fast food that require different manners of packaging. Many different designs have been developed for packaging food stuff. FIG. 5 shows a most common conventional packaging container for foodstuff that generally includes a box and a cover. For the cover to tightly close to the box, the cover is provided along a whole periphery with a downward bent flange adapted to clamp a corresponding bent flange of the box. While such downward bent flange on the cover allows the cover to tightly close to the box, it prevents easy removal of the cover from the box once the cover is closed to the box, and thereby causes inconvenience to a user in opening the packaging container. Moreover, the packaging container tends to burst open when the periphery thereof is subjected to collision or impact. Another problem with the conventional packaging container for foodstuff is the whole container tends to deform or burst open when it is heated in a microwave stove.

It is therefore tried by the inventor to develop a packaging container for foodstuff that eliminates drawbacks existed in the conventional packaging containers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a packaging container for foodstuff that is easy to manufacture, has increased contact area between its box and cover to ensure firm closing of the cover to the box while the cover could be easily removed from the box at an outer periphery of the packaging container, and is protected against deformation or bursting open when being heated in a microwave stove.

To achieve the above and other objects, the packaging container of the present invention mainly includes a box having an open top and a first flange horizontally outward extended from a periphery of the open top, and a cover having a second flange horizontally outward extended from a periphery of the cover corresponding to the first flange. The first and the second flange are provided at corresponding positions with complementary recess and projection belts that fitly engage with each other to enhance connection of the cover to the box. Outer edges of the first and the second flange are bent downward and upward, respectively, to form a flared peripheral clearance between the cover and the box, allowing the cover to be easily removed from the open top of the box at the flared peripheral clearance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein

FIG. 1 is an assembled sectional view of a packaging container according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, enlarged sectional view of the packaging container of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows the manner of separating the cover of the packaging container of the present invention from the box thereof;

FIG. 4 is an assembled sectional view of a packaging container according to another embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is an assembled sectional view of a conventional packaging container for foodstuff.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Please refer to FIG. 1 that is an assembled sectional view of a packaging container according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the packaging container of the present invention mainly includes a box 1 and a cover 2. The box 1 has an open top 11, along which a horizontally outward extended first flange 12 is formed. The cover 2 has a second flange 22 horizontally outward extended from a periphery thereof for fitly closing to the open top 11 of the box 1.

The packaging container of the present invention is characterized in that a continuous recess belt 31 is provided along the first flange 12 on the box 1, and a continuous projection belt 32 is correspondingly provided along the second flange 22 on the cover 2 for fitly engaging with the recess belt 31, and that outer edges 41, 42 of the first flange 12 and the second flange 22 are bent downward and upward, respectively, to form a flared peripheral clearance 5 between the box 1 and the cover 2 when the cover 2 is fitly closed to the open top 11 of the box 1. The flared peripheral clearance 5 allows a user to easily remove the cover 2 from the open top 11 of the box 1.

Please refer to FIG. 2 that is a fragmentary and enlarged view of the packaging container of FIG. 1 showing a detailed structure of the first and the second flange 12, 22. As shown, the first flange 12 of the box 1 includes an inner belt 121 immediately extended along the open top 11 of the box 1, a recess belt 31 located outside the inner belt 121, an outer belt 122 located outside the recess belt 31, and a downward bent outer edge 41. Similarly, the second flange 22 of the cover 2 includes an inner belt 221 immediately extended along a periphery of the cover 2, a projection belt 32 located outside the inner belt 221, an outer belt 222 located outside the projection belt 32, and an upward bent outer edge 42. The special structure of the first and the second flange 12, 22 allows the closed box 1 and cover 2 to have an increased contact area and enhanced connecting force between them, preventing the cover 2 from easily bursting open under collision or impact. The flared peripheral clearance 5 between the opposed outer edges 41, 42 of the box 1 and the cover 2 extends a whole outer periphery of the packaging container, and a user may easily open the closed cover 2 from the top 11 of the box 1 at any point on the flared peripheral clearance 5, as shown in FIG. 3.

The packaging container of the present invention is also characterized in a vent 21 provided at a predetermined position on the cover 2 and having a predetermined size. When the packaging container with foodstuff contained therein is heated in a microwave stove, thermally expanded air in the packaging container is discharged from the vent 21 to avoid undesired deformation or bursting open of the box 1 and the cover 2 of the packaging container. For packaging containers that are injection-molded from a polypropylene (PP) material, the provision of a vent on the cover is an absolutely novel design.

FIG. 4 shows a packaging container according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The second embodiment is generally similar to the first embodiment, except that the first flange 12 of the box 1 is provided with the projection belt 32 while the second flange 22 of the cover 2 is provided with the recess belt 31 to fitly engage with the projection belt 32. With this structure, the cover 2 could still be firmly closed to the open top 11 of the box 1.

With the above arrangements, the cover 2 and the box 1 of the packaging container of the present invention have increased contact area and enhanced connecting effect between them. Moreover, the flared peripheral clearance 5 between the outer edges 41, 42 of the closed box 1 and cover 2 facilitates easy removal of the cover 2 from the box 1, and the vent 21 provided on the cover 2 effectively prevents the whole packaging container from deformation or bursting open when the packaging container is heated in a microwave stove. Therefore, the packaging container of the present invention is more practical for use.

The present invention has been described with some preferred embodiments thereof and it is understood that many changes and modifications in the described embodiments can be carried out without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention that is intended to be limited only by the appended claims. 

1. A packaging container with flared peripheral clearance, comprising a box having an open top and a first flange horizontally outward extended from a periphery of said open top, and a cover having a second flange horizontally outward extended from a periphery of said cover corresponding to said first flange; said packaging container being characterized in that said first and said second flange are provided at corresponding positions with complementary recess and projection belts to enhance connection of said cover to said box, and that outer edges of said first and said second flange are bent downward and upward, respectively, to form a flared peripheral clearance between said cover and said box when said cover is closed to said open top of said box, allowing said cover to be easily removed from said open top of said box at said flared peripheral clearance.
 2. The packaging container with flared peripheral clearance as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flared peripheral clearance continuously extends a whole periphery of said packaging container, allowing said cover to be easily removed from said open top of said box at any point on said flared peripheral clearance.
 3. The packaging container with flared peripheral clearance as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first flange on said box includes an inner belt immediately extended along said open top of said box, said recess belt located outside said inner belt, an outer belt located outside said recess belt, and said downward bent outer edge; and said second flange on said cover including an inner belt immediately extended along a periphery of said cover, said projection belt located outside said inner belt, an outer belt located outside said projection belt, and an upward bent outer edge.
 4. The packaging container with flared peripheral clearance as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first flange on said box includes an inner belt immediately extended along said open top of said box, said projection belt located outside said inner belt, an outer belt located outside said projection belt, and said downward bent outer edge; and said second flange on said cover including an inner belt immediately extended along a periphery of said cover, said recess belt located outside said inner belt, an outer belt located outside said recess belt, and an upward bent outer edge.
 5. The packaging container with flared peripheral clearance as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cover is provided at a predetermined position with a vent having a predetermined size, allowing thermally expanded air in said packaging container to discharge from said vent when said packaging container is heated in a microwave stove. 